Chase the Dark
by BundyShoes
Summary: She wants to believe that this is just some nightmare, some weird daydream of hers and she's just half-asleep in the car, waiting to reach their new home, but then Michael walks into the room and reality smacks her in the face. This is real. M/A AU
1. A Guardian Angel's Warmth

***

"_It's all your fault"_

Was it really? Was it all her fault they were there? None of it _hers_? Audrey finds that hard to believe, but can't help that nagging feeling in the back of her mind, that there was some truth in what her mother said.

She shouldn't be worrying about that at a time like this though. They're in a diner in the middle nowhere with angel-possessed people attacking them nonstop, with an angel that was once in God's army, on the mortal's side helping. She has no time to think about trivial things such as her jerk of a mother blaming all her shit on her daughter.

But it's just so typical of her. To place no blame on herself, and just dump it all on someone else. She's always been selfish and full of herself, but ever since her run in with 'dad', she's sunken even further.

She uses the term 'dad' loosely, because she doesn't want to think it was actually her daddy upside down on that crude imitation of the cross. She doesn't want to think that God could be that cruel and do that to someone. She wants to believe that this is just some nightmare, some weird daydream of hers and she's just half-asleep in the car, waiting to reach their new home.

But then Michael walks into the room, with his knife-gun combo and intricate tattoos along his neck, back, and arms, and reality smacks her in the face.

This is real. All this…it's happening.

She feels rebellious, maybe it's because she's still sort of a teenager, but that doesn't matter, and so she decides to challenge God's right-hand angel.

"Why would our dear, merciful God do this to us?" she watched as Michael sharply turned his head towards her, and then continued with a soft, biting voice, "I thought he loved us all, _unconditionally_."

She's on the ground, on her knees, utterly without hope at the moment. She feels _tired_. She just wants this to be over with, or to at least pretend it's not happening. He keeps staring at her with those eyes.

"He does."

She quirks an eyebrow at his response, "Oh, really?"

He barely nods.

"Then why would he want us annihilated? Why would a caring, loving father want his children destroyed?" She laughed bitterly, "Is it like a punishment? Or how 'bout a lesson? Or what about those beatings of abuse I've heard so much about?"

Michael stares at her, his gaze unyielding in its intensity. It makes her almost lose her nerve, but she's naturally stubborn (she gets it from her mom), so she keeps her cool, and continues in her tirade.

"Well? Is there any excuse for killing of your family? Your children?" She tilts her head down, and in a quiet voice whispers, "A father should want to help his children….not tear them down."

A rustle alerts her that he's moved positions, and the warmth on her left arm tells her he's beside her.

He's so _warm_. She didn't think angels emanated this kind of heat. She's always seen angels on tomb stones or solemn stain glasses, always something cold and unfeeling, but, this is the complete opposite, and her emotions are way too fried by now to be dealing with something like this.

Swallowing, she glances up at him. He's still wearing his jacket, with his knees bent and his arms propped up on them. He turns his head over to her.

"You're right…" he falls silent, letting his words settle in. "But…He just needs to see, that there is still hope for mortals. He needs to see you still have faith," he barely nods his head, punctuating his words.

She understands. She really does, but that doesn't change the fact that this is happening. But while she's understanding what he means, she realizes that he's understanding too. He understands what she feels, what coursing through her fragile mind right now, and he accepts that.

And maybe she accepts what he says as well…

She looks back to the front and feels a chill run through her petite body. She shivers, and crosses her arms, but almost jumps out of her skin when something large and warm settles on her shoulders. She looks up quickly, and sees that it's his jacket he just put on her. She smiles at him, and immediately sets to work on getting her arms through the sleeves.

When she's lifting her long hair out from under the fabric, she feels his hand pull hers, and she freezes. Her eyes dart to his, but his are fixated on something else.

"What happened?"

She searches for what he meant, and she sees it on her hand.

Blood.

Her hand has blood on it. Thinking for a second she remembers it's from when her mother smacked her. She brings her hand up to her face, to find where the cut is, when he stops her again.

His hand gently brushes her long bangs from her forehead, "It's already dried up, but we need to put at least a small bandage on." He produces gauze out of nowhere and starts fixing her up, ignoring her shocked gaze.

When he's done, she thanks him, and he just nods; their small smiles almost identical. It seems simple, but it's the most complex thing that's happened to her since she got here. She feels her face warm up for an unexplainable reason, and turns her head away from him.

This hasn't happened to her in a while.

And she doesn't even know what 'this' is…

She almost turns back to him, when Kyle comes out of nowhere.

"It's our watch now. You ready?" he raises his eyebrows in expectation and she nods dumbly in response, standing up with numb legs, and takes a few steps after him.

Michael's voice stops her.

"It's not your fault."

Her entire body freezes, and her back straightens.

"Wha-what? What do you mean?"

She barely turns her head to look at him in the corner of her eye. He's still sitting there.

"This was not your fault, Audrey. None of it is." His eyes are kind and understanding and she immediately turns away, her brain in shock. She begins to walk away.

Before she's even taken five steps, she turns back to him.

He's watching her from the floor.

She stares at him, with no expression on her face…before letting a smile blossom, just for him.

"Thank you…really."

A ghost of a smirk traces his lips, and he tilts his head in a nod, "Of course."

She keeps her gaze on him, squinting a little, then grins and nods her head.

She follows Kyle outside, her heart lifting.

***

"Make sure you pull that back."

"I know how to work this, trust me," Kyle had handed her a handgun, and it seems that just because she's a girl, means that she can't handle a gun. She pulls back the safety and points it in midair, as though there were a target in front of her.

He's quiet for a moment, as though thinking of something, and she waits for him to share, and he doesn't disappoint.

"I heard what your mother said." She lowers the gun. "You don't deserve that kinda shit."

She looks over at him, and he's already turned his head. "When I was younger, my dad would never pay attention to me…unless I did something bad." He paused, and small smirk on his face, "So you can only imagine what I did."

They both gave a half-hearted chuckle.

After a moment of silence he continued, "Turns out though…being bad, isn't good when you get older." He was staring at his hands, and she lightly put a hand on his shoulder, for comfort.

"I know what you mean." She gave him a smile, which he returned.

The moment was broken when the sound of wheels on gravel tore through the air. They immediately stood up and leveled their weapons.

It was a van, and when it stopped a man got out to put some gas in. There was a child inside, and she and Kyle loosened their stance somewhat.

They stiffened again, when a mob of different cars came out of nowhere and started surrounding the van.

"It's a setup. They tricked them." Kyle raised his gun and let off a round. The dad flinched. "Get back in your car!" another round, "Now! Hurry!"

She followed his example and started yelling as well. But when the dad finally started to move, it was too late. One of the cars swerved and hit him, coming to a stop right next to the van. A bunch of punk teenagers got out of the cars, and two of the guys took the kid out of the vehicle.

She heard Kyle swear next to her. When she looked over at him, he wasn't there.

He jumped onto the ground.

She ran to the railing, dread for the man curling in her stomach.

He shot at them, and picked the child up, and then held the gun in front of him, warning them to stay back.

She bit her lip, anticipating him hurrying back. But then she saw the little boy pull away from Kyle.

And then he ripped out Kyle's throat with his teeth.

"_Kyle!"_ the screamed tore out of her throat, and without thinking, she jumped over the railing and slid down to the ground, shooting everyone that came in her way.

She can't even remember how she got there, to the middle of the mob, it's all a blur, but suddenly she's there, in front of the demon child that stole Kyle's life away, and she feels no regret when she points the barrel at him.

Click.

_What?_

Click. Click.

No more bullets.

_Shit._

She chucks the gun at the kid's head, trying to cause at least some damage and runs to the open van, ducking into the front seat and locking all the doors.

The possessed surround the car and begin to scratch at the windows, and all she can think is:

_I'm going to die. I'm going to die. Why? Why, Why, Why? What will happen to everyone? Will her mother survive without her and her dad? Will the baby survive? What about the diner? What about mankind? What about God?_

What about Michael?

She feels tears streaming down her face, and when a crack of a window reaches her ears she turns and sees them all, still banging at the window. They're everywhere, and there's not a single spot she can look where there isn't one.

"Oh, God." She whimpers. She hears a racket outside the car, but can't see anything. "Somebody please help me."

She stares helplessly out into the masses of the possessed when suddenly something catches her eye.

It's Michael.

He's holding a gun and one of the gasoline pumps, and it only takes her a moment to realize what he's about to do and to duck down.

She hears the possessed scream in agony and almost feels the flames against the front of the car as she holds her hands protectively up to her head.

It all stops and she sits back up, only to see he's moves to her side. She scoots over to the passenger seat and tucks her head in as glass shatters at her face. The car door opens and she looks up.

He's holding his hand out to her, and Audrey can almost see his wings. He looks like the angel protector he's been called since the beginning of time, and she doesn't hesitate to take hold of him, letting him lead her out of the flaming car towards the diner.

"Come on!"

She stumbles, but he pulls his arm tightly around her, keeping her tucked into his side, moving them closer to safety. They're about five feet away when an explosion cuts through the air and knocks them forward, slamming into the ground floor of the diner.

His arm, that's still around her, keeps her pinned to the floor, but he stands up immediately letting her up. She sees the steam rolling off them both and barely registers Charlie walking away saying, "I'll get some water."

She looks up to Michael, grabbing his hand, stilling it from its actions. He looks down at her, his eyes focusing on hers.

"Thank you," she whispers, gratefulness and sincerity ringing in her soft tone.

He just nods, before a scream interrupts.

***

_**Yea, it's a Legion story; I loved that movie SO MUCH! xD I knew I'd like it, just for Paul, but it was actually really great! :) **_

_**I can't seem to watch/read/etc without having some sort of romance, especially with my favorite actor, so since I did NOT like Charlie, at ALL! The only one I deemed worthy for Michael was Audrey, and my mind wandered and here we are! So I hope you like it so far, I need to edit it later, because I just want to get it up, before I forget, so yea! :3**_


	2. A Saviour is Born

_**Just a note: I rewatched the movie, and saw I made a few mistakes, so if you haven't read the edited version of the first chapter, please do so. :) Thank you.**_

***

It was Charlie.

She was screaming and the sound of a knife swiping through the air was heard. Audrey felt Michael tense for a moment, then run over, gun poised at the ready. He jumped over the bar; right after a loud clang was heard.

All of a sudden the lights turned off. She couldn't see anything, the diner was pitch black. The lights attached to the guns went wild, creating a strobe-like atmosphere, and finally one of them settled on the ceiling, highlighting the bloody handprints crawling across it.

"What the hell?" she heard Bob mutter, and then without warning heard him yell and make choking noises. The kid had jumped him from behind and was strangling him. Audrey watched as Michael grabbed the kid and flung him in the air, and then again as Jeep started shooting, killing him finally.

There was no breath of relief, as Charlie bent over, a moan of pain escaping her lips. She panted for a moment and looking up, whispered the two words that created a chill down everyone's spine.

"It's coming."

Audrey was still in a daze when Michael pulled her over to Charlie. He deposited her on the ground before settling behind Charlie, keeping her anchored, and holding her hands. He turned back to Audrey, "You're going to have to deliver it."

She snapped out of her daze, "What?! Uh, just 'cause I'm a girl, does _not_ mean I know how to do this!"

The words could barely be heard over Charlie's screaming but somehow he heard her, "Just stay calm and do exactly as I tell you. I'll guide you through this."

Audrey looked at him disbelieving, "How do you know how to do this?"

He didn't get the chance to answer, a loud horn blasted through the air. Audrey looked up at the ceiling. All of a sudden the diner started to shake and the plates started to clink, and she felt panic settle into her brain, "What the fuck is that?!"

Michael's eyes connected with hers, "He's coming." He kept his line of gaze, before turning it downward, "I need you to hurry now, Charlie--" Audrey interrupted with, "Hurry?! This isn't exactly something you can hurry!" but he kept talking, "Push, Charlie, _push_!" he stressed the last word, drawing it out as if he were coaxing the baby out with just that one verb.

"Michael, _who is coming_?!" Audrey felt a little scared. Michael looked really spooked, and that's not a good sign if God's one and only Archangel is freaked out by something. Whatever this thing was, it had to be powerful, and dangerous. Enough to make Michael hurry them along faster than he already was.

The delivery went off as smoothly as it could, seeing as this was not a hospital, but a dingy shit-hole of a diner, and not a professional doctor, but a nervous, anxiety-ridden nineteen year old with no experience in the medical field. Michael helped a lot though. His smooth words guiding her through gently with her task even though there was an undercurrent of fear in them.

Audrey didn't know what it was at first, but out of nowhere a smaller cry pierced through Charlie's screams. The baby came out head first, and right before Audrey's eyes a baby was born into the world.

A baby boy was born on December 25th into an apocalypse.

What she held in her arms, all sticky with blood and unknown fluids did not look like a savior, but an ordinary child, taking its first breaths of oxygen. What was weird though, was how amazing just a simple tiny human being could invoke such awe into her.

"Charlie, you did it!" She glanced at the older woman, a smile spreading on her face. Relief swept through her body and Audrey felt an almost delirious happiness settle in her.

"You did it," it was unavoidable, her eyes moved on their own accord to the man behind Charlie, the _angel_ watching over this birth. Her smile wasn't forced and it wasn't held back. She grinned at him with all she had.

***

There was a blanket next to her, ready and waiting to be put to use. She laid the child on it, and after cleaning it off, she wrapped it up. She gently got onto her knees and leaned over near Charlie, who still hadn't sat up from her slumped over position yet.

"Here, Charlie, here's your baby boy," she still had a smile lodged in her tired face. She fully expected Charlie to take the baby, too smile and rejoice in this beautiful creation she just gave birth to.

But she didn't move.

She didn't even try to go near her child.

She merely moved her head farther away, further into her self-pity.

Confusion hit Audrey, _why would she do that?_ She inched the baby closer to its mother, feeling almost desperate, "No, look, your baby's fine. See?" Maybe that's what's wrong. Maybe Charlie just thought there might be something wrong with the child, and was just scared to see.

But then Michael looked up at her, his face a few inches from hers, and whispered in a soft voice, "It's alright. Give her some time."

He gently laid his hand on hers where it was holding the baby, slightly pushing the bundle away from Charlie. It would've made her heart race at the contact, if not under such horrid pretenses. Audrey couldn't believe her ears, and after a moment of staring at him in shock, she slowly turned to look at Charlie, who looked as though the whole world was against her, and nothing was right.

_Bull-fucking-shit_

Audrey was starting to get sick and tired of Charlie's bullshit, and the thought of her not taking care of this kid because of her own made up 'emotional baggage' pissed her off to no end.

An image of her own mother flitted through her mind, and Audrey felt like she was seeing red. No child deserves something like that. And she'll be damned if she allowed Charlie to do it to the kid.

"Don't you dare." She gritted out, her eyes hidden behind long layers of hair. She shook her head, and finally looking up, she fixed Charlie with a fierce glare. "Don't you _dare_...neglect this child." She stressed the word, making damn sure she got her point across.

She stood up, cradling the baby like a jewel, "When you finally get your shit together, I'll be over there," she gestured with her head in a direction, any direction, away from where they were. And then she walked away. She didn't dare look at Michael throughout that little exchange, she couldn't. His eyes would've torn her up and she couldn't take that.

She somehow ended up in front of her still tied up mother. Kneeling, she found she still felt comfort from the child, no matter what Charlie did, and she smiled down at the boy.

"He's beautiful."

The words shocked Audrey. Not because of what they were, but from who it came from. After the little spat between them, the one where her mother blamed her for all the crap that had been happening to them, she had thought her mum wouldn't have spoken to her. But apparently she was.

She let a small smile escape, "Yea, he is, isn't he?" she suddenly felt a pull on her hair, and looking down, she saw that a chubby little hand had grabbed onto a chunk of her hair.

A giggle rose unbidden from her throat, and she used her free hand to gather some tendrils from the left side of her face and brushed them gently across the newborn's face. She felt as though she were glowing from the inside out when the child started to gurgle and play happily with her hair.

"You're gonna make a great mother one day."

Audrey flinched, dropping her hair back down onto her arm. She almost forgot where she was.

"You know, you used to look at me like that." Audrey looked up at her mum, surprise evident on her face. He mother's gaze was not on her though, it was on the baby. Her eyes glazed with memories past. "_Just…like…that._"

Sandra seemed to snap out of it, and turned a motherly look into her daughter. "I'm sorry, Audrey. About everything that happened--" Audrey interrupted her, already shaking her head, "No, no, it's okay." She smiled encouragingly at her mum. She always knew her mother meant none of that. Or at least pretended her mother didn't mean it…It hurt a lot less to think that way.

"I love you, Audrey," when Sandra saw that her daughter was about to speak again, she hurried on, "I need to say this…it might be the last chance I get."

Audrey kept shaking her head slowly. "Why do you say that?" she sat up on her haunches getting closer to her mother, "Mom…it is not the end of the world."

Sandra wouldn't look at her, and Audrey forcibly put her face in front of her vision, "Mother, we are not going to die here. We're going to make it through this." She said it with such clarity that she almost believed herself.

Sandra was quiet for a moment, staring at her daughter in wonder, before nodding. "You're right." She wet her lips, "You know, it's just me and you now."

Audrey nodded, "Yea…," an image of her father flashing through her mind.

"I know."

***

The child started crying.

Audrey, being the bumbling teen that she is, was clumsily trying to placate him. But nothing seemed to work, and the cry turned into a wail.

She let out a sigh. She was pacing the floor in front of her mother, and when she paused to shift the baby, she heard it.

The wail wasn't from the baby…but from the possessed outside.

_What the hell?_

Bob and Jeep chose that moment to walk into the room. "Something's happening," Bob recognized.

Audrey then noticed that Michael had left Charlie, and was now at the table with the weapons, sorting through them and loading them.

"The possessed can't come near the child, so he's sent someone who can, someone like me." He rotated his body in their direction.

"Who?" Jeep asked, his southern drawl prolonging the word.

Michael sent them a grim stare, "Gabriel," he returned to the weapon, "He's here to do what I wouldn't."

Out of all of them, Jeep was the only one who seemed to understand. "So _that_ was the order you didn't obey?"

Audrey was confused. Apparently Jeep and Michael had had a conversation before about Michael's past. In a spilt moment she felt jealousy. The thought of Michael's past intrigues her, and the fact that someone else knew and she didn't was a little unsettling.

Charlie seemed to still be in her own little world, only thinking about herself, "What do you mean, Jeep? What order? Michael?"

Michael ignored her, "We need to leave. We have to get out of here--" Charlie wasn't going to be ignored easily though, "What's he talking about?"

Michael kept talking over her, "We need to go now."

Charlie surged forward, and at the same time Michael yelled out, "_Now!_" she screamed, "_Why won't you talk to me?!_"

Silence blanketed the group, and Michael seemed to be studying Charlie, before letting out a breath.

"The child…was never supposed to live."

Those words hit Audrey like a ton of bricks, and she immediately turned to look at said child in her arms.

"But," Audrey tore her eyes back to him as he continued, "history is being unwritten, the child lives," he faltered a little, seeing Charlie back away slowly.

Audrey didn't understand her. Here he was helping them out from being annihilated and she was freaking out over something that _might've_ happened but _didn't_. He was _here_. He was with them _now_. That's all that mattered.

Charlie turned around, facing her, "Audrey, the baby," she walked towards the younger girl, her arms awaiting the child she had just recently shunned.

Hesitantly, Audrey held the baby out for her to take. But right when Charlie was about to take him, something rushed between the two women, snatching the baby from Audrey.

"Mom?!"

Sandra ran over to the door and stopped a foot away from it, keeping her back to it.

"What are you doing?" Bob asked, his scraggy voice portraying his disbelief.

"All they want is the baby. I'm going to give them the baby, and everything's going to be alright. Audrey," she held her free hand out to her daughter, "come with me."

Out of the corner of her eye, Audrey could see Michael with his gun pointed at her mum. She made her decision then. Her mum may have done some shitty things to her during her lifetime, but she doesn't deserve a fate like this. After all, didn't she just promise Sandra a few minutes ago that they wouldn't die here?

"Mum, get over here." Sandra looked like a deer in headlights, her eyes wide in a panic, and Audrey pitied her. "Mum, please!"

Sandra shook her head, "Audrey, now, come with me!"

Audrey ignored her, "Mum," she started, but Charlie spoke up, "You give him back to me right now!" her hands were formed into a pointing position, as though reprimanding Sandra. The other woman just looked at her, "Why? You didn't even want him in the first place!"

Audrey couldn't help the pride that welled up inside her, nor the small smirk on her face, but when she went to speak, her voice caught in her throat. From behind the door, a bright light shone, and the wooden barrier started to shake from some unknown source. Audrey's hands were at her sides, her fists clenching together over and over, as though trying to get a grip on the situation. "Mum," she began again, swallowing, "Mum, something's coming!"

Sandra turned a deaf ear to her pleas, shaking her head "It's just one baby." Michael never wavered in his position. Sandra turned to each of the group, as though trying to reason with them that it was the only way.

"It's just one baby!"

Audrey finally had enough, and she began to walk forward, ready to drag her mother back, kicking and screaming, but something beat her to it.

The door burst open, and a bullet whizzed past Audrey's ear and right into her mother's forehead.

Right in front of her, her mother was shot, and killed.

The shock didn't seem to set in though, because when she saw the baby fly from her mother's corpse's arms, she dove for him.

She was able to catch him inches from the ground, but her mother fell to the ground like a rag doll.

"Mom," she choked out, putting a hand on her shoulder. Her mother's eyes were wide open, in shock. Quietly, almost reverently, Audrey closed Sandra Anderson's eyes for the last time, feeling pain register deep in her heart.

But her moment was cut short, and a shadow loomed over Audrey, and immediately she pushed her mother's corpse away, so she wouldn't get in the way.

Big boots clomped down in her vision, and, slowly dragging her eyes up, Audrey set her gaze on the angel Gabriel for the first time.

_Oh, God._

She clutched the child closer to her, angling her body to where it was between him and the angel. Gabriel's eyes turned down to her, and the coldness in them sent a chill down her back.

_He was nothing like Michael._ There's no compassion, no love or respect for human life in those depths.

"Give me the child," his voice rumbled, no remorse, no mercy found. She shook her head, "_No_." she hated how shaky her voice sounded.

He didn't even looked phased, "Human, give me the child, and I'll make your death quick."

She was scared. She was _so scared_ right now. But…did he really think she'd give up now? Now at the very end?

"Well, in that case," she shifted her body a little, as though to hand over the child. But paused, her body still between the Messenger of God and what he wanted. She looked up at him through a curtain of hair:

"Fuck no."

His nostrils flared, and Audrey tensed as he brought his mace up. She twisted her body, trying to get the child out of harm's way. She heard his battle cry, and covered the baby's head, shutting her eyes and hoping it didn't hurt.

_CLANG!_

She felt no pain.

She cracked an eye open.

She was alive. So was the baby.

She saw a foot. But instead of being attached to a beefy leg, the appendage was connected to a much slimmer, toner leg.

It was Michael. His small angelic knife was holding off Gabriel's mace. Audrey wasted no time and scrambled up, and over to hand Charlie her baby. She looked back to see Michael twist his knife out and under, disengaging from the locked weapons. Bob immediately took action and started firing at Gabriel before the angel could get his bearings.

But the shots didn't seem to faze him. He lifted up in the air on his wings and bringing them towards himself, used them as a shield and spun, blocking the bullets.

Once Bob's gun was out of ammunition, Gabriel retaliated, and let one of his wings out, slicing Bob through the midsection.

"No!" Jeep surged forward, to go to his bleeding father, but Michael held him back, "You need to go!"

"Dad!" Jeep didn't listen, and Audrey ran to the two men, taking Jeep's arm. Michael turned to her, "You need to find the prophets."

Confused eyes answered him, "What?"

"There's no time, you need to go. Go now!" Michael pushed them in the direction of the back door, and Audrey let Charlie pull Jeep away. She didn't follow them right away, though.

She walked up behind Michael and grasped his elbow, "Hey."

He looked over his shoulder at her, his gaze almost softening. She studied his face for a moment, as though for the last time, and then softly whispered, "Just…be careful. Okay?" she smiled at him, in a sort of makeshift form of comfort. It seemed to comfort her more than him though, but nonetheless, he smiled back.

"Okay." He nodded behind her after a few seconds, "You need to hurry. Go." His words were gentle, and Audrey nodded, and backed away, keeping her eyes locked on the Archangel.

When she felt her back hit the door, then she turned away, into the night, and into a swarm of possessed surrounding their one means of transportation out of there.

***

_**Okay, this'll be a cliffhanger, mostly because, well….I really needed to update this fic, and this is pretty long, so….this is chapter two! xD Yay! Hope it was to everyone's liking! :) **_


	3. Have Faith

Chapter 3-

They were everywhere.

Audrey didn't think she breathed once throughout the trek to the car. Of course, she knew for a fact that the things around her weren't. The only sound that echoed around them was the rustle of stones and gravel when their feet struck the earth.

There were all sorts of people out here. Mostly regular people: men in suits, women in dresses, children in superhero and princess shirts. Everyone imaginable. It was disconcerting to see ordinary people standing by with blank emotion on their faces, and even worse was the fact that these _weren't_ normal people.

They were angels.

None of them tried to get close, but neither did they move away. Audrey felt like that main character in _Silent Hill_ in that scene where she had to walk by the horrid undead nurses. Never knowing when they'd flinch or react, the smallest twitches causing Audrey to have mini heart attacks.

They reached the car, but had to walk around a little….'girl'. Audrey didn't know what she was, since she had a bag on her head, but it was freaky all the same. The girl started banging on the car with a bat held in her small hand. She didn't do anything else, even that little act didn't seem very threatening.

They got into the car, and Jeep pulled slowly out, just in case the possessed decided they should try something. And suddenly they were on the road, creating distance between them and the only angel who wanted to help. And the only angel in danger at the moment.

Audrey never forgot about him, her head buzzing with thoughts about whether he was still standing, still locked in that duel with Gabriel. Would he come after them when he was done? Would he actually make it through the battle? Audrey couldn't shut her mind up, and she pinched the crevice between her eyes for control.

They rode in silence for about five minutes, and in those minutes, Audrey's shoulders grew even tenser. Nothing was giving them any indication that Michael was okay, or how it was going. The only noise that was gifted her ears, were that of the baby's. Charlie was finally accepting of the child and was cradling the babe to her, smiling like a mother should.

It made Audrey a little mad…and even a little jealous.

That kid, the one Charlie didn't even _want_, was her only comfort other than Michael during this hell trip. Now that she has nothing but the sounds of the road and her thoughts, Audrey needed that comfort now more than ever. And Charlie was reaping the benefits of it.

Another few minutes flew by. The darkness around them swirling past at amazing speeds. Nothing tipped her off, she'd think later. Nothing would have prepared her for anything next.

Something in her chest clenched. Pain flared from her heart so suddenly that she let out a choked breath. Something liquid streaked down her face and onto her hand, and reaching up, she felt it.

She was crying.

The pain was so strong, and she knew why.

Michael would not be coming after them.

He didn't make it.

The tears flew faster, and she hastily wiped it away, right when she heard Charlie gasp. Thinking the older woman saw her, she quickly looked up to wave away questions. But Charlie wasn't looking at her, she was looking at Jeep.

Or more importantly, Jeep's body.

All along his arms, neck, and back, a familiar set of tattoos inked its way across flesh. It was Michael's tattoo, and that fact alone proved that Michael was no longer with them.

"Michael," Audrey whispered, voicing what they all thought. Glancing up, Audrey saw a sign fly past.

_Red Ridge: National Forest_

"You guys, look, we're here," Audrey sat up straighter, pointing it out to the other passengers.

Jeep nodded, assuming his leader position, "Okay, we need to assess our weapon situation. Hopefully Michael didn't take it all."

Audrey ruffled around the clutter of the back seat, looking for anything of use. "Um, there's a flare gun, and a couple o'flares."

She didn't get to say what else, the impact of something on the top of the car and its swerving interrupted her.

A series of events happened during that time, as God's Messenger rained down upon them.

Gabriel attacked the ceiling, and Jeep retaliated by shooting at him with his gun, causing the angel to fall to the back of the car, where the broken in window allowed him access to Audrey.

"Jeep!" Audrey ducked down when the man told her get down. It did almost nothing, as the car swerved some more.

"Audrey, the flare gun!" she quickly aimed with the weapon and shot, but was deterred when the angel knocked her arm away. The flare flew around the car once, and then hit Gabriel in the end, causing him to lose grip on his perch. Jeep tried getting him off by purposely swerving, but Gabriel got hold and reached at Audrey.

She couldn't even think properly, and almost went through the next moments in a dreamlike sequence. She lifted her arm with the flare gun again, but Gabriel just grabbed it and flung it down over and over till it flew out of her hand, then letting go of her, he backhanded her with a closed fist. She felt darkness engulf her and knew nothing but silence for the briefest of moments.

Then she awoke, jarred by the movements of the car under attack. She awoke to the babies cries and Jeep's yelling and Charlie's whimpering. Gabriel was farther in the car than she remembered, and he had both arms in the front seat, one choking Jeep, the other terrorizing Charlie and the baby.

She made a quick decision, and with effort, she threw her arms around the angel's neck.

"Let go of her!" she never let go, tightening as much as his armor would allow her to, to keep her grip. He tried shaking her off, but she wouldn't let him. Glancing over to the dash, she saw they were going well over 100 and rising. Another quick decision and she was yelling at Jeep, "_Jeep, do it!_"

She knew what would happen. It could go two ways.

One: Jeep wouldn't do it, and they'd all die. Because it didn't matter how careful Gabriel was about his attack, this car would crash into something, and they'd all die, because no car going this fast, with the driver being distracted at the same time, could stay upright and not destroyed.

Or two: Jeep does what she tells him, and the only people that are in danger are her and Gabriel. Charlie and Jeep and the baby, if they play their cards right, could get out of this. This could be the perfect distraction for them to get away, while Gabriel recuperates.

Jeep seems to take option number two after she yells at him a few more times. He slams down on the brakes, and suddenly she weighs nothing.

It feels like slow motion when Gabriel and her, still strapped to his back, fly through the front windshield. She feels herself dislocate from him in midair, and right when she thinks she's going to be feeling the hard gravelly road crunching into her, she feels a tough, hard object catch her and take the hit for her. She senses them roll across the ground, but she can't actually feel it, because the object keeps her to it protectively, shielding her from being broken beyond repair.

They roll to a stop and right when she's about to look up, to see her savior, she feels darkness once again clutching her, pulling her back down to it, and suddenly, that feeling of weightlessness is there again, and she knows no more.

She wakes to someone tapping her face and shaking her.

"Audrey? Audrey, ya alright? Come one, ya gotta wake, we gotta go!" her eyes slit open just enough for her to see that Jeep's the one hitting her, and everything rushes back to her. The one-angel barrage against the car, the flying _out of_ the car on the wings of said barrage, and the mysterious person who saved her.

She slowly sits up with the help of Jeep, and when she gets her bearings, she stands up and walks over to where Charlie is hovering with the baby.

"Is the baby alright?" she lifted a hand to push back some hair in her face, trying to check the baby's condition as much as she could.

"Yea, he's fine, a little shaken, but okay." Charlie smiled at her warily, and up close, Audrey could see what the past 48 hours have done to the woman. Lines ran all over her face, with dark rings under her tired eyes, and dirt and grime covered her, with sweat giving it a bright sheen.

Audrey felt a twinge of sympathy, and briefly rested her hand on Charlie's shoulder.

"Okay, guys, we gotta get moving," Jeep walked over to them, to get their attention, before leading the way, towards a large hill. They trekked their way up, and Audrey helped Charlie as much as she could when Jeep wasn't. What they didn't know was that she was only doing it for the baby, not the mother, as horrible as it sounded.

Suddenly they were at the top, and while she helped Charlie up the steeper slope, she heard Jeep gasp. Looking up, she saw a figure diving towards them, and she let out a gasp of her own. She pushed Charlie out of the way so she wouldn't be in direct danger, but felt herself being moved away. She watched as Jeep took a direct hit from Gabriel, knocking him out cold.

She then watched as Gabriel turned his back on her to face Charlie, who had ended up on the other side, at the edge of the cliff.

"Give me the child." His usual smooth grumble was frayed at the edges, his patience with them at its end. Charlie looked down to her child, and Audrey held her breath as she waited for Charlie to do something stupid.

But she didn't, when she turned back to the angel, her face was determined and hard.

"No."

Gabriel's shoulders tensed, and in her mind, Audrey pictured his face before he swung at her at the diner: nostril flared, pissed off expression. He must've _really_ hit his endpoint.

"Then death will come swiftly to you both."

And then he charged.

But Audrey was already ahead of him. She threw her body at him, hitting him with all her weight, and causing both to go tumbling over the edge of the cliff. She landed on him, and when he finally got his bearings, he pushed her off.

Her right shoulder hit a rock particularly hard, and a hand immediately went to it. Using the last of her strength, she stood up shakily; ready to face off against this monster who paraded itself as a holy being. She should've died by now. She shouldn't still be here when others much more worthy have passed. But she is, and she has to use every bit of life she has left to fight.

She stood weakly on her legs, but didn't care, and continued to hold her right shoulder. She braced herself for his attack.

"Why do you continue to fight, when you know all hope is lost?" he stared at her, as though it was crazy of her to oppose the mass destruction of mankind.

"Because…I'm _human_, and I don't take shit from no one," she narrowed her eyes, "least of all to a motherfucking _hypocrite_ like you!"

Gabriel's features went beyond disfigurement. He was so furious he leapt forward at her blindly, his mace held high for a direct blow.

Audrey didn't close her eyes; she kept them open, wanting to see her last moments. The weapon came closer to her and right when he was going to swing it-

A bright light blinded him.

Something invisible made him stumble back, made him drop his arm, his face no longer disfigured rage, but horrified astonishment. Audrey tilted her head back to see what it was, but the figure, the man, the _angel_, landed in front of her, his magnificent wings spread out, sword at the ready. He slowly straightened out, and Audrey lost her breath.

It was Michael.

He was okay!

"Michael…!" she grinned at his back. He didn't turn to her; he kept his gaze on Gabriel, and vice versa.

"How…?" Gabriel let the question trail off, and Michael filled in the blanks.

"You gave him what he wanted," his voice lilted through the air, pleasing Audrey's ears and solidifying his return, "I gave him what he needed," he concluded, his tone finalizing a point.

Gabriel wasn't going to just leave it like that though. He raised his weapon once more against his brother, and Audrey could see Michael's shoulders tense. He didn't want to fight him anymore. She could tell, just by the way he held himself. But he had a duty to do, now that he was back in God's good graces, and Gabriel was still a danger to everything and everyone.

So Michael readied his sword at his side, and in the time it took to blink, both had lunged at each other. When smoke had cleared away, Audrey could see Michael a little farther away, behind Gabriel, and his sword was midair, but it wasn't clean anymore. Dark liquid stained it, Gabriel's blood.

Gabriel was still for a moment, his eyes wide in disbelief, but then he fell to his knees. Michael slowly lowered his sword and turned to look at his fallen comrade. Very carefully, he placed the edge of his sword underneath Gabriel's jaw, but he paused.

Gabriel noticed, "Do it," he urged. "You know you have too."

But Michael silently refused, and shaking his head, he pulled his arm back, "No."

Gabriel stared at Michael in a sort of detached bitter expression, "I would not have shown you such mercy."

Michael didn't have any expression, his face carefully blank of emotion. He had already made a dent in Gabriel's armor if pride, now he was going to drive the stake home.

"That is why you have failed him."

Gabriel's eyes widened. He didn't say anything, he stood, his dignity in pieces, and his wings lifted him up from the ground, and away from his defeat.

Michael stayed where he was, silently placing his sword in its sheath.

Audrey hesitated, but after a moment ran over to him. She paused near him though, but relaxed when he looked at her, a soft expression masking the emotionless one from before.

She smiled at him tiredly, and then, pain in her shoulder forgotten, threw her arms around him, hugging him.

His armor poked her weirdly, causing her arms to wrap awkwardly around his neck, but she held on regardless. He didn't move for a while, but placed a hand on her back for a second then pulled back.

"Thank you." she looked directly into his eyes, making sure to radiate the gratitude she felt. He understood and nodded.

He rested his hand on her bad shoulder, lightly, the rustle of fabric loud in her ears. She realized belatedly that she was still wearing his trench coat, and suddenly her arm didn't hurt anymore.

He had healed it.

She turned to look back at him, but he was already walking away, toward the end of the cliff. The sun was starting to rise, and the color reflected off his wings, creating a glow around him, a sort of halo. The irony didn't pass Audrey.

Something in her memory struck her though.

"Michael, what instruction were you talking about?"

The archangel turned back around. "The markings are the way. Learn them, understand them, and follow them. They will guide you to the Prophets."

Audrey knew for certain that she would definitely _not_ understand that tattoo. "But what if I don't understand it? Who are the prophets?"

Michael dipped his head, "You will know when the time comes. Have faith, Audrey." And then he turned away and took a running start.

She took a half-step towards him, but watched as he jumped off…only to fly skyward. She took a few more steps blindly, watching as he flew into a hole of sunlight in the clouds, assuming back to heaven.

She stood there alone for a few minutes; the only noises were her breaths in the air. But then the sounds of gravel hitting the ground caught her attention. She turned and saw Jeep and Charlie climbing over the hill. She had almost forgotten them. Actually she had almost forgotten the entire '_Paradise Falls_ incident' entirely thanks to the epic angel standoff.

She waited for them, seeing as they had already stood. Then she turned back straight to look ahead. She was at the edge of the cliff, and beyond that, they, as a group, were graced with the sight of a small city.

A silent sigh of relief swept through them, and after a pause, they started down the hill, awaiting their next challenge God may bestow on them.

**Another ending, but it's not the **_**END**_** end. There will be more, but it's still in story form. I really hope you guys will like where I'm going with this, please review! xD Btw, this isn't beta'd, so if anyone notices any errors, please tell me, I will correct them as soon as I can! :)**


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